Background: We aimed to evaluate the association of sedentary behavior (SB) and moderate to vigorous leisure-time physical activity (MVPA) with sleep quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Cross-sectional, population-based study in adults, conducted from October to December 2020 in the Iron Quadrangle region, Brazil. The outcome was sleep quality, evaluated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. SB was assessed by self-report of total sitting time, before and during the pandemic. Individuals with ≥ 9 h of total sitting time were classified as SB. In addition, the ratio of time spent in MVPA to time in SB was analyzed. A contrasted directed acyclic graph (DAG) model was constructed to adjust logistic regression models. Results: A total of 1629 individuals were evaluated, the prevalence of SB before the pandemic was 11.3% (95%CI: 8.6–14.8), and during the pandemic 15.2% (95%CI: 12.1–18.9). In multivariate analysis, the chance of poor sleep quality was 77% higher in subjects with SB ≥ 9 h per day (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.02–2.97). Furthermore, a one-hour increase in SB during the pandemic, increased the chance of poor sleep quality by 8% (OR: 1.08; 95%CI 1.01–1.15). In the analysis of the ratio of MVPA per SB in individuals with SB ≥ 9 h, practicing 1 min of MVPA per hour of SB reduces the chance of poor sleep quality by 19% (OR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.73–0.98). Conclusion: SB during the pandemic was a factor associated with poor sleep quality, and the practice of MVPA can reduce the effects of SB. Graphical

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic changes to the lives of the global population. The restrictions imposed by government agencies impacted the daily lives of citizens, influencing several health behaviors, such as physical activity (PA). Thus, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical inactivity (PI) and its associated factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A population-based household seroepidemiological survey was conducted in two Brazilian municipalities located in the state of Minas Gerais, in which 1750 volunteers were interviewed between October and December 2020. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a structured questionnaire in an electronic format. The moments considered for the PI analysis were M0 (before the pandemic), M1 (from March to July 2020), and M2 (from October to December 2020). Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the factors associated with PI before (M0) and during the pandemic (M1 and M2). Results: The prevalence of PI was higher in the first months of the pandemic (M1) (67.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 62.4–71.9) than in the months from October to December 2020 (M2) (58.7%; 95% CI: 52.8–64.3); however, at both times (M1 and M2), PI was more prevalent than in the period before the pandemic started (M0) (39.7%; 95% CI: 35.6–43.8). Individuals who were overweight, obese, and had low educational levels were more likely to be physically inactive. At both M1 and M2, individuals who worked at a work from home were less likely to have PI. Conclusions: The results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced PA, substantially increasing the prevalence of PI. The determinants associated with PI were education, body mass index, and work from home.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the primary cause of global morbidity and mortality. Movement behaviors; physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB) and sleep are essential for cardiovascular health, yet they are often studied separately. To investigate the association between the movement behaviors with cardiovascular risk (CVR) mediated by sleep quality. Population-based survey in two Brazilian municipalities, collected through face-to-face interview.PA practice was assessed using a question adapted from the study: Surveillance of risk and protective factors for chronic diseases by telephone survey (VIGITEL). Total daily SB time was measured in hours. The proportion of minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in relation to SB time was calculated and dichotomized into < 2.5 or ≥ 2.5 min of MVPA per hour of SB. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and CVR was estimated via the Framingham risk score (FRS), categorized as low risk (< 5%) or intermediate to high risk (≥ 5%). The study involved 1,550 individuals, 46.3% aged 35–59 years and 50.7% female. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for confounders, indicated that individuals with ≥ 2.5 min of MVPA per hour of SB had a lower likelihood of intermediate to high CVR (odds ratio (OR): 0.60; 95%CI: 0.39–0.92), and 16.6% of this effect was mediated by sleep quality (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.43–0.99). In the combined analysis, individuals with an MVPA per SB hour ratio and good sleep quality were less likely to have intermediate to high CVR (OR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.21–0.69). The combination of high MVPA, low SB and good sleep quality, was associated with a less CVR. These findings highlight the importance of integrated interventions addressing multiple movement behaviors to prevent and treat CVR.

Background: to evaluate the effects of one week of supplementation with curcumin combined with piperine on physical performance, immune system cell counts, muscle damage, and plasma levels of inflammatory markers after a treadmill running training session. Methods: This study is a double-blind, crossover-balanced clinical trial with a three-week intervention. Sixteen male runners with a mean age of 36 ± 9 years and VO2 max of 60.6 ± 9.03 mL.kg ⁻¹ min ⁻¹ were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups: the first group (CPG) was supplemented daily for 7 days with 500 mg of curcumin + 20 mg piperine, and the second group (PG) was supplemented with 540 mg of cellulose. After the 7th day of supplementation, the volunteers participated in the experimental running protocol, where blood samples were collected before, after, and one hour after exercise for analysis of the number of leukocytes, creatine kinase, and cytokine concentration (IL-2, TNF-α, IFN, IL-6, and IL-10) using flow cytometry. This process was repeated, reversing the supplementation offered to the groups. Results: curcumin and piperine supplementation could not change the physical performance, immune cell counts, and muscle damage; however, the aerobic fatiguing exercise protocol inhibited the elevation of the plasmatic levels of some cytokines. The running exercise protocol could elevate the circulating levels of IL-2 (from 49.7 to 59.3 pg/mL), TNF-α (from 48.5 to 51.5 pg/mL), INF (from 128.8 to 165.0 pg/mL), IL-6 (from 63.1 to 77.3 pg/mL), and IL-10 (from 48.9 to 59.6 pg/mL) 1 h after the end of the running protocol. However, the curcumin and piperine supplementation could inhibit this elevation. Conclusions: curcumin and piperine supplementation had no effect on physical performance, immune cell counts, or muscle damage; however, the supplementation could modulate the kinetics of IL-2, TNF-α, INF, IL-6, and IL-10 1 h after the end of exercise.

Objective: To describe study protocol and initial results of research project COVID-Inconfidentes. Method: This paper described the methodological procedures adopted and the prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in the population. A household survey was conducted between October and December 2020, in two historic cities of Brazil's mining region. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody was detected using the Wondfo® rapid test. The face-to-face interview consisted of administration of a questionnaire containing registration data, sociodemographic and economic variables, living habits, general health condition, mental health, sleep habits, and eating and nutrition. Results: We evaluated 1,762 residents, of which 764 (43.4 %) were in Mariana and 998 (56.6 %) in Ouro Preto. For both cities, 51.9 % of the interviewees were female, with a predominance of the age range 35 to 59 years old (47.2 %). The prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 infection was 5.5 % in both cities, 6.2 % in Ouro Preto, and 4.7 % in Mariana (p-value > 0.05). Conclusion: The study was effective to estimate the seroprevalence of infection by the virus and its findings will enable further analyses of the health conditions of the population related to social isolation and the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2.